Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-29

KNOCKS OUT COCAINE.
he Accidental Discovery of New snes-
thetic for the World.


Accident, in the shape of lack Of Il
proper poultice TO put on a lame horses
leg, has given the world a new alkaloid
that is destined to take its place beside
quinine, atrophine, cocaine and antipy-
rIne. This new preparation has been
dubbed stenocarpine by its discoverer, but
the name will probably be changed when
the botanical nature of the tree from
which it is obtained is known.
The history of the discovery is as fol-
lows: Last fall NJ. Goodman, 4 veterinary
surgeon of West Feliciana Parish, La, had
occasion to poultice sprain on the leg of
Il horse. He had no material mt hand and
gathered handful of leaves and placed
them on the sprain. 4 few hours later he
cut into the poulticed parts and was sur
prised to find that the animal did not
show any sign Of pain. He tried the same
poultice on another animal and was able
to perform another operation with like
results.
He concluded that the anasthetic effect
was caused by the leaves, and subsequent
experiments confirmed his opinion. The
leaves were those of the ordinary tear
blanket tree, assspecies of 4cacia steHocarpo,
which is abundant in the South. 1t grows
to a hight of from 80 to 40 feet, and its
smooth bark is covered with long needles
or spines, from which it takes its name.
Mr.. Goodman sent some of the leaves to
DR.. Allen NJ. Seward of Bergen Point, \.
j., who made an analysis of them and
found, among other ingredients, the new
alkaloid. Two drachms of a two-per-cent.
solution of this preparation We're sent to
DIR. J. Herbert Claiborne, instructor in
ophthalmology in the New York Poly
clinic, and after a series of successful ex-
periments on cats, dogs and rabbits, he de-
lermined to try the stenocarpine on hui
man beings. He gives the following ac-
count OF his first operation:
A man about 30 years old presented
himself for treatment at the Northwest
ern Dispensary in this city. He was suf-
fering with acute catarrh, and ! noticed a
sebaceous tumor on his forehead over his
left eve. | suggested that it be removed,
and after being assured that it would not
hurt him he consented to have the opera
ton performed.
" \ piece of cotton was saturated with
the solution Of stenocarpine and placed
over the tumor, and in twenty minutes
the skin could be pricked without his
knowing it, although the parts had been
very tender before the anasthetic was APP
piled. In ten minutes more | made Il
long incision across the tumor, and, dis
secting the skin from around it so that the
sac was exposed down to the bone, re-
moved it in toto.
"The man remained perfectly still dur
ing the operation, which is usually a pain
full one, and only at one time, when |
made deep sweep into the connective
tissue, did he say anything, and then he
observed that it pricked a little. A few
drops of the solution were instilled into
the cut and | continued the operation.
" 1t must be remembered that only two
per cent. solution of the stenocarpine was
used, and that Il stronger solution would
have greater pain-killing qualities"
Stenocarpine acts on the eye much III
the manner as atrophine (the active prin-
ciple of belladonna), and it will be most
useful in treating cases of glaucoma. There
has been no trial yet to observe its effects
on the system if taken internally, but it is
supposed they will be about the same rs
those of cocaine, while its properties as an
anGsthetic tar surpass those Of that aka
id-MOyniRd Journal.